Gardens throughout the year

Hi all

Love what you are all doing in your gardens.

I share mine with 4 boys, occasionally a DH, my birds that visit + those that nest :-), bats, hoggies, frogs, toads, newts, bugs, bees + butterflies!!

This is DS3 + his grubby hands, but he is most proud of his 1st crop of tatties. He planted 4 seed pots + cropped 30!! We also picked some wonderful apple mint, cooked them within an hr of them coming out the compost + wow were they scrumptious!! Even DS1 who never touches tatties ate masses ;-)

Either side of the patio doors I have some smelly plants so we can sit on the steps + awww lovely. The thyme is about toflower but the dianthis is wonderful as is the rock rose, much nicer than the slab that was there before!!

This is our log pilewhich getsadded to through the winter. Itsunder thecrab apple + not farfrom theneighbours pond so is full of frogs toads + newts as well as all the othercreepy crawlies. This is where we have our nettle patch + allow the brambles to do there thing!! We created this about 3 yrsago now + the bottom is alovely rich mush!!

This is the wee border that I created last autumn with lotsofclimbersto cover the fence,itsstarting  to take off ;-)

This is going to be my wee veggie patch, cleared + awaiting more work but hopefully this will spur me on!! DS1 brokethe neighbours staple gun yesterday putting compost bag l.iners around one of the raised beds, hey ho now need to buy 2 of those!

Thanks Doggie.

This was our first attempt at veggies + potatoes!! Theywere truly wonderful have more on the way - 1st earlies Swift. So the kids didn't have to wait too long. Excitingly it worked!!

Last photo didn't load - so will try again. This is the hedge + honeysuckle which is all doing brilliantly.

This is my wonderful tricoloured rose that is a old old plant that I took a cutting from - it smells aww!! Sorry about the headtilting needed forgot to do thsat before loading!! LOL

Unfortunately the wildflower garden didn't come to much so I got rid of it at the weekend and put a new area of lawn in for the kids toys.  Still plenty of wild areas in the garden and I have a bank round the pond which I think could have some potential for wildflowers.  Think I may get some plug plants for it next year.

The hedge I put in to screen the chicken pen has come on a treat and by next year I think you won't be able to see the wire behind it.  I've noticed a few time that it seems to really attract insects.  The rest of the garden actually looks a lot better than I was expecting after a quick tidy up at the weekend.  

I've also got plans to re-do the pond next year and make it bigger.  Just need to save a bit of money for the liner and a fence to keep the kids out.  

Cheers

Stoat

Hi All,

Great pictures Osprey and great to see the kids enjoying the garden. My little girl is just coming up to four and loves being out helping 'Daddy' When all her friends asked for toys and dolls last Christmas she asked for and got a pink wheelbarrow from Father Christmas! this has proved a fantastic present and whenever I'm using my wheelbarrow you will find her a couple of steps behind me with hers....this gives the neighbours a good laugh and they call us "Little and Large" (I'll let you guess which one I am!! LOL)

Stoat.....I think some pictures are in order mate????.....

It's a shame to hear that you've given up on the wild-flower lawn as mine has done really well and is full of wildlife...butterflies, bees etc!

As you know I sowed seeds but also grew on plug plants which I planted into the area and this has worked really well so do have another go next year with plug plants....it will be worth it in the end!!...

This is how it looked last week....(and this is shortly after it was flattened by the rain!!)

I will try and get some photos up soon.  Kids are keeping me very busy in the evenings at the moment.  The first time I tried the wildflower lawn in the same place as it was this year it worked quite well but I think I cut it too soon and the clover and grass took over and then tried to start afresh this year but don't think the seed was as good or it may just have been that the wetter weather compared to the first year may have made a difference.  The clover has done really well in other parts of the garden so the bumble bees still have plenty to sup on.

Stoat, did you remove the clippings? wild flower gardens do take a bit of tending and fairly unimproved soil.  So it is best to rake off the clippings and when you do that it helps to distribute the seeds.  Try to leave cutting until September and follow Higgy's trick of planting plugs.

Caroline in Jersey

Thanks Caroline, I was thinking of cutting mine about September time but wasn't sure so this is useful advice. When you cut the flowers down I suppose you need to leave them in situ for a couple of weeks to allow them to dry and the seeds to fall before cleaning them up as suggested?

It's great to get all this advice and between us we'll all soon be enjoying these wild-flower areas.

Anyone else got any further tips on the wild-flower subject?

higgy50 said:

Thanks Caroline, I was thinking of cutting mine about September time but wasn't sure so this is useful advice. When you cut the flowers down I suppose you need to leave them in situ for a couple of weeks to allow them to dry and the seeds to fall before cleaning them up as suggested?

I wouldn't Higgy.  Aim to cut when you know you are in for a reasonable dry spell and lift within 24 hours.  If you leave the cuttings lying for too long and it is damp you risk the seeds going mouldy or getting too warm and the grass could also start rotting.  You could start cutting between August and October and do it in stages so that the insects still have somewhere to go.  Remember that some butterflies and moths hibernate as caterpillars in tall grass, Large Skipper being one, so try and leave some if you can.

Caroline in Jersey

My hibiscus is enjoying the recent sunshine and has now come into full bloom. It usually continues to flower for at least a couple of months. The bees love it too.

Here's the kids new play lawn.  They hadn't got enought turf left at B & Q at the weekend so I've seeded the bare bits.  Behind that is my veggie garden.  There used to be two but I've reduced it to one higher one.  I don't like that many types of veg so was struggling to find things to grow and the time to look after two so thought I'd move the one for a few years.  I've got a green manure growing in there at the moment.

Behind that is my hedge thats screening the chicken pen.  To the right you can just about see my mini reed bed!

Cheers

Stoat